


Different Kind of Love

by MariaJonsson



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 16:25:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3576063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariaJonsson/pseuds/MariaJonsson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ned wonders if he has fallen in love with his wife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different Kind of Love

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I wrote this little fic for CatxNed Week on [ Tumblr](catxned.tumblr.com) even though I planned on not writing anything for tonight's prompt. Hope you like it :)

Love was a complicate thing, especially for a man like Eddard Stark. He had never loved a woman who was not of his own blood, but that came naturally, he had not had to think of it. He had loved his mother dearly, she had been a Stark to the bone and had loved and protected her children as fiercely as a true she-wolf, yet also showered them with love and affection. Then there had been Lya, so lovely and sweet, his little sister who had been taken from this world before her time, for a long time he did not think it possible to ever love a woman more.

Until Catelyn handed him a babe wrapped in a blanket with leaping direwolves, a little girl swaddled inside of such beauty it had taken his breath away, his Sansa, so perfect Ned could barely hold her without thinking he was staining her beauty by merely looking at her. Yet none of these felt anything like what he felt for the woman whom had birthed her.

Ned was still not sure what he felt, for they were feelings he was unaccustomed to, he did not love her the way he had loved his mother or Lya, and it certainly felt nothing like the love he felt for his daughter. No, while Sansa’s crooked smile and soft coos left him proud and taken, her mother’s smiles left him breathless and confused.

He loved all of the gestures she made with her face, even the ones of anger and irritation, he loved the sound of voice, especially when she sang to their children, he loved the sounds she made when he had the cooks make something she was particularly fond of, and he loved the sounds she made when they were alone in her chambers even more. He loved every inch of her body, and every scar on her soul. Her stubbornness and how she so obviously loved their children. But he was not certain he was in love.

And what if she did not feel the same? What if he was confused? There was nothing improper about his feelings for her, whatever they might be called. She was his wife, and she freely shared her bed with him. Perhaps he was confusing his desires for her with feelings of affection?

“Papa,” a cry of displeasure coming from his first born, the little boy playing on the floor of Ned's solar with his little toy horse, no doubt displeased with his father’s lack of attention.

“Sorry, son, my mind wandered,” Ned said, getting up from his desk, leaving the papers he had no mind to finish in any case and sat down on the floor with his son, the boy smiling up at him, two of his front teeth missing, reminding Ned of the day they had fallen out, and Catelyn’s face when the nurse had come running into this very room, telling them that the little lordling had fallen.

Robb had somehow gotten away from his nurse and found his way to the stables intending on going riding by himself, finding the whole thing very exciting and without Jon to play with, he had gotten restless. Thankfully the worst that had happened was that Robb had fallen over the railing he was attempting to climb over, and had fallen on his face, breaking his front teeth. The cries that had come from the stables the moment they had stepped out of the keep had made him more terrified than open battle ever could, and both he and Catelyn had sprinted across the yard to be able to get to their son as fast as possible. Ned had gotten there before her, but when the boy had seen his mother, hers were the only arms he wanted. That would have hurt Ned, if he did not feel the same, for there were no arms warmer than Cat’s.

The Maester had suggested they remove the two teeth and simply wait for the new ones to make an appearance, Robb would not be harmed by it, and if Ned was asked, he’d probably say the boy enjoyed it quite a bit, for he often liked to stick his tongue between his teeth, earning him a glare from his mother.

“Papa play,” Robb insisted, seeming a bit displeased by his father’s bad playacting. “I misth Jon.”

“I know son,” Ned answered, smiling softly, truly glad with how close the two boys had become. “He’ll be well soon.”

“Pthromise,” Robb asked.

“I promise, the Maester said the worst is over and that you might be able to visit him tomorrow if he feels up to it,” Ned said, lifting his arms just in time to catch the boy, who threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Just as Robb moved back towards his toys a soft knock was heard from the door and Ned quickly stood up before telling the person to enter.

It has been less than four years since father and Brandon had passed, and Ned was still not comfortable as Lord of Winterfell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be, but he did not want the servants to think him weak, even if he enjoyed spending time with his children, but lords did not sit on floors.

Instead of a servant, his lovely wife entered instead, her arms free of the child that so often rested there, and Ned felt a flash of disappointment.

“My lady, I did not expect you,” Ned said, his hands unconsciously smoothing out his tunic.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord,” Catelyn said, a small smirk on her lips. “Sansa is sleeping, so I thought I’d see Robb, but the nurse said that you had taken him with you to your solar.”

Hearing his name Robb looked up, smiling at his mother before turning back to his project of raising a tower with his blocks, so he could no doubt knock them down with his horse.

“Yeah, I figured I could try to spend some time with him,” Ned said, stopping himself before he mentioned Jon, not wanting to scare her away.

Catelyn nodded, smiling softly at him, her smile kindling desire in him, which she no doubt had not intended to ignite.

“I thought we might let him ride a little since the weather today is quite pleasant, and hopefully if either of us are there to watch him, he’ll be careful.”

Ned was surprised by her suggestion, he had feared Catelyn would never allow their son near another horse after what had happened, but then again, no horse had hurt their son, only his own sense of adventure.

“I could take him if you’d like,” Ned offered, knowing how Catelyn disliked the cold.

“If you don’t mind, I wouldn’t mind riding a horse again, even if it is only in the yard, it has been too long,” Catelyn said, a soft blush covering her cheeks.

Catelyn hadn’t been riding since she had been round with Sansa, the Maester having forbidden it when she was almost in the birthing bed, and for the sake of their child, Catelyn had reluctantly agreed.

“The morning is still young, if you’d like, we could ride outside the walls,” Ned offered, wanting to spend some time with his wife, perhaps some time together would lead him in the right direction, since spending time apart had done nothing for him, other than making him miserable.

Catelyn’s face lit up at the suggestion, and Ned knew her answer before it ever passed her lips.

The air was cool, but there was less snow today than had been in the last few months, the height of the storms hitting around Sansa’s birth two moons earlier.

Robb, for one, was very excited for this venture, and was practically bouncing in the seat in front of Ned, holding the reins as he was shown, looking up at Ned now and then to look for approval.

“Well done, son,” Ned said, putting his hands over Robb’s. “Just let go a little so you don’t hurt his mouth.”

They had been out for more than an hour, but Ned was reluctant to suggest that they return, for his wife seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, allowing her horse to sprint and jump, making little Robb, glee and clap, asking Ned to do the same, but other than jumping over a small log, Ned had kept the pace slow and easy, allowing Catelyn to be more carefree. During her ride, her auburn mane had come loose from its bindings and her hood had fallen down, her hair flowing around her face, which was bright red.

“We should head back,” Ned suggested, not wanting her to overexert herself.

“Alright,” she replied, and at first he thought her smile would falter, but she quickly recovered. “Do you want me to take him so that you can ride a bit?”

Ned shook his head, smiling. “I ride too often alone, it is good to have company,” he said, stroking a hand over their son’s hair, the little boy leaning back against him, no doubt tired from their ride.

Once they were at Winterfell and the groom had helped Catelyn off her horse she sent him away with her horse, walking over to them to help Robb down, telling him to run along and tell Old Nan of his adventures. The boy did not wait long enough to even thank his parents for the day, and despite having spent most of the ride dozing off in the saddle, he seemed to have regained his usual energy, for he sprinted across the yard and out of sight.

“Thank you, my lord,” Catelyn said when he dismounted, coming to stand in front of him, her cheeks flushed. “I did not know how much I needed that.”

“It was my pleasure,” Ned replied, and he was sure his own face bore a hint of a blush.

Before he was able to say anything else Catelyn pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips against his, her lips lingering longer than they had before outside of her chamber.

“Come to my room tonight, Ned, the Maester said I’m well enough,” Catelyn said, the blush deepening, and before he could reply Catelyn rushed off, disappearing almost as quickly as Robb.

Love might be complicated, and Ned might doubt if she returned his feelings, but he was quite certain he was madly in love with his wife.

The End.


End file.
